The present invention relates to a system for stacking archive boxes; more particularly, the present invention relates to a system for stacking at least one archive box on top of another archive box, wherein each archive box includes a fire-resistant drywall support shell that protects the contents being stored therein from fire damage, while at the same time reducing the chance that the lower archive box will collapse under a load imposed by the archive boxes stacked thereon.
Archive boxes are used to store documents, files, office supplies, and other valuable items. An archive box typically includes a bottom container portion and a lid, which may be formed of cardboard or plastic. The bottom container portion is typically filled with items, the lid is placed on top of the bottom container portion to enclose the items within the archive box, and then the archive box placed in storage so that it may be accessed at a later date. It is not uncommon for archive boxes to remain in storage without being accessed for a long period of time.
As archive boxes are placed in storage, they are ordinarily stacked on top of on another in order to conserve storage space. However, due to the cumulative weight of the items contained within the archive boxes being stacked, the bottom-most archive boxes are susceptible to being crushed over time, thereby risking damage to the items contained within those particular boxes. Most existing archive boxes fail to provide adequate structural rigidity to support heavy loads over an extended period of time. In addition, the inadequate thermal resistance of existing archive boxes is a concern in the instance of a fire. The heat produced by a fire will rapidly burn a cardboard archive box and melt a plastic archive box, thereby exposing the items contained within those boxes to high temperatures leaving little opportunity to save the items from being destroyed by the fire.
As such, there is a need for system for stacking archive boxes that will reduce the possibility of the bottom-most archive boxes from being crushed. There is also a need for a system for stacking archive boxes that will also adequately protect the items contained within the archive boxes in the event of a fire. The present invention addresses these needs as well as other needs.